Machine for trimming fence-posts



(No Model.)

J. E. LAYGOOK.

Y MAGHINE FOR TRIMMING FENGE POSTS.

No. 362,638. Patented May 10, 1887.

I k V ak n/L I jg f I l #1 i h zy N. PETERS. Phdloljlhognlpher.lllllllllllll C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JosEPH E. LAYGOOK, OF STEPHENSON, MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR TRIMMING FENCE-POSTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,638, dated May 10,1887.

Application filed NovemberlB, 1885. Serial No. 183,251. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J OSEPH E. LAYCOOK, acitizen of the United States, and residing at Stephenson, in the countyof Menominee and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Machines for Trimming Fence-Posts, which is fullyset forth in the following specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents a side elevationof a machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2,a detail sectional view ofthe same,taken on the linear or of Fig. 1; Fig. 8, adetail view,partlyinsection, showing the manner of mounting the cutter on its mandrel; Fig.4, a detail view of one of the knives of the large cutter detached; Fig.5, a face view of the small cutter; Fig. 6, a view of the finishedfence-post; Fig. 7, an end view of the carriage, and Fig. 8 a detailsectional View taken on the line y y of Fig. 5.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to machines for finishingfence-posts,itsol'jectbeingtoprovideamachine whereby fence-posts ofcedar or other wood may be readily and rapidly finished from theroughcondition by pointing them and properly shaping their heads; and tothese ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I willnow proceed to describe, and will then point out in the claims.

In the drawings, A represents a frame-work of any suitable construction,and B a way or track secured thereto in any suitable manner. Upon thetrack B is mounted the carriage O, which is provided with wheels 0,grooved, as shown, to fit the rails b of the track B. The frame of thecarriage C is of any suitablecon struction, it being provided at eachend with a V-shaped notch or seat, 0, to receive the article to beoperated upon, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings. The walls ofthis seat are provided with projecting points 0, upon which thefence-post rests.

D indicates a lever pivoted to the carriage, and extending across thesame, being provided with one or more projecting points, (I, to bearupon the fence-post, as shown in Fig. 7. By pressing upon the lever Dthe fence-p0st will be firmly held in position upon the carriage bymeans of the points 0 and (7, thereby preventing the post from slippingor rotating while subjected to the action of the cutters, as hereinafterdescribed.

At each end of the. track Bis arranged a cutter, at a heightcorresponding to the position of the fence-post when in place on thecarriage. The cutter E, at one end, is mounted upon a mandrel, 6,connected by a belt, E, to the drive-shaft e,which receives its powerfrom any suitable source. The cutter E is preferably connected to themandrel e by being screwed thereon in the manner shown in de tail inFig. 30f the drawings, so that the cutter may be readily removed andreplaced when desired. The general form of the cutter E is that of ahollow cone, it being provided with slotsf, extending, as shown, nearlyfrom its apex to its base. In the slots .f are arranged the knives F,secured in position in the usual manner, and projecting slightly intothe interior of the cone. That end of each knife F which is next to theapex of the cone is provided with a small projection, f, of its cuttingedge, for the purposes hereinafter stated. At the base of the conicalportion of the cutter E is a cylindrical extension, G, provided with agroove, 9, to receive a support:

ing-roller, G, by means of which the end of the cutter is supportedwhile in operation. Two or more of these supporting-rollers may be used,if desired, and they may be arranged at various points around theextension G,so as to bear upon the same and hold the cutter firmly inposition.

At the end of the track B, opposite the cutter E, is arranged a smallercutter, H, which is also mounted on a mandrel, e, connected by a belt,E, to the driving-shaft, e',in the same manner in which the cutter E ismounted and driven. This cutter is connected to its mandrel in the samemanner as the cutter E, and is provided in its face with a recess, h, toreceive the end of the fence-post. One or more knives, H, mounted inslots h in the body of the cutter, extend into the recess h, beingprovided with a curved cutting-edge, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

Heretofore in the manufacture of fenceposts of cedar or other wood ithas been customary to deliver them to the consumer merely sawed to theproper length, the consumer being obliged by hand labor to point theposts and otherwise finish them preparatory to driving them intoposition in the ground.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine for accomplishingthis purpose, so that the posts may be delivered to the consumer allready for driving.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The fence-post to befinished, being placed upon the carriage O and held in position by thelever D, as hereinbefore described, is fed upto the cutter E, its endentering into the interior cone of the cutter, where it is operated uponby the knives F as it is fed up, until it is finally given the shapeshown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The tapering surface i of the post I ifcarried out uniformly to the end of the post would put too fine a pointupon it, so that the point would be liable to be broken oif while it isbeing handled. For this purpose the projectionf of the cuttingedge ofthe knives F is provided, the said projection terminating the taperingportion 2' somewhat abruptly at i in Fig. 6. The point of the posthaving been finished in this man ner, the carriage is then fed in theopposite direction, where the other end of the post is operated upon bythe cutter H, which rounds 0d the edge of the head of the post, as shownat i in Fig. 6. If this edge were not rounded oif in the manner shown,the post would be liable to split from the blows given to it whiledriving it into the ground. The finished post may now be removed fromthe carriage, and another placed in position and operated upon in thesame manner, the posts being finished with great rapidity and ease, aswell as accuracy, and at a cost much less than that of the hand labornecessary to finish them with an ax or other similar hand tool.

Instead of feeding the carriage C by hand, any approved form ofautomatic-feeding mechanism may be applied thereto. It is obvious, also,that various modifications in the details of construction andarrangement of the parts may be made without departing from theprinciple of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understoodas limiting myself strictly to the precise details of constructionhereinbefore described and shown in the drawings.

I am aware that conical and rounding eutters are old and have been usedfor like purposes, being shown, for instance, in Letters Patent No.15,530, granted August 12, 1856, to E. O. Smith, and Letters Patent N 0.93,269, granted August 3, 1869, to S. V. Barnes.

I am also aware that it is not new to tenon the opposite ends of a stickwith cutters of a similar character, as shown, for instance, in

Letters Patent No. 14,289, granted February 19, 1856, to J. H. Palmer;nor is it new to bore holes in the opposite ends of sticks, which areclamped in seats upon a reciprocating carriage, by means of angersplaced at the ends of the movement of said carriage, such a constructionbeing shown, for instance, in Letters Patent N 0. 176,116, granted April11, 1876, to McClintock Young. I therefore do not wish to be understoodas claiming, broadly, such a construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a machine for trimming fenceposts,the combination,with thelongitudinally-movable carriage adapted to holdthe fencc'post, of the revolving conical cutterE, arranged at one end ofthe line of travel of the carriage to trim the point of the post, andthe revolving hollow cutter H, having a curved blade, as described, andarranged at the other end of the line of travel of said carriage to trimthe edge of the head of the post, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

2. In a machine for trimming fence-posts, thecombination, with thelongitudinally-movable carriage, having seats 0 to receive the post, anda lever, D, to hold the post in position in said seats, the said seatsand lever being provided with projecting points 0 and d, to prevent therotation of the post, of the revolving hollow conical cutter E, arrangedat one end of the line of travel of the carriage to trim the point ofthe post, and the revolving hollow cutter H, having curved blade, asdescribed, and arranged at the other end of the line of travel of saidcarriage to trim the edge of the head of the post, substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

3. "In a machine for trimming fence-posts, the combination,withthelongitudinally-movable carriage adapted to hold the fence'post, ofthe revolving hollow conical cutter E, provided with the inclined knivesF,forimparting a tapering shape to the end of the post, said knivesbeing provided with the projections f, for giving a more abrupt taper tothe extremity of the post, and the revolving hollow cutter H, havingcurved blade, as described, and arranged at the other end of the line oftravel of the carriage to trim the edge of the head of the post,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

JOSEPH E. LAYCOCK. Vitnesses:

Nonwoon Bownns, \V. H. RonINsoN.

